Jonathan, Clinton back Fashola’s effort to transform Lagos

IN furtherance of land reclamation exercise and quest to successfully construct Eko Atlantic City, President Goodluck Jonathan and former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, have thrown their weight behind efforts by  the Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to make Lagos State a tourist destination. The Eko Atlantic City is about reclamation of land hitherto lost to the Atlantic Ocean in the last 100 years.
The leaders, who spoke at the event one after the other, noted that the city, when completed, would be a cynosure of all eyes and would bring people all over the world to study its technology.
The 5,000,000 square metres of land reclaimed from the Bar Beach was commissioned by President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday Speaking at the event, President Jonathan described the feat as a landmark, adding that “the project was one of the good news that we will continue to tell in the country.
“When completed, the Atlantic City will promote tourism, as it will give birth to new cities and new cities will help in no small measure in the revenue generation of the country.
“It will help in urban renewal and in the construction of new cities to complement the old ones. The Federal Government is, therefore, giving its full support once again to the project.”
Clinton, speaking at the event, said the project, when completed, would bring enormous opportunities, adding that “I am convinced that within five years, people will be coming all over the world to see this wall. In the last nine years, I have been asked to work in the aftermath of natural disasters all over the world.
“I want to thank the government and the developer for building this city. They have reclaimed five million square metres of the land initially lost to the sea. That marks the beginning of this amazing wall, they have kept their commitment and it will work to improve the economy of Nigeria,” he concluded.
Also speaking, at the event, Governor Fashola said that the project would be strengthened by the “Great Wall,” which would help in the fight against coastal erosion and in reclaiming land that had been lost to the ocean.
“The project has the prospect of generating employment in the future, as properties will spring up, which will be protected by the Great Wall of Lagos. It shows the resolve and will of man in the fight against nature. Nature again has, once again, been defeated,” he said.
He admitted that the project had faced many challenges, adding that the strong will of the people had kept it going since its conception in 2009.
The Executive Chairman of Eko Atlantic, Mr Ronald Chagoury, said the project was necessary because land had been lost to the sea for 100 years of coastal erosion.
“This land is protected by walls that can withstand the worst storms and condition not seen in the past 100 years. It will protect both the Eko Atlantic City and Victoria Island,” he remarked.